Andhra Pradesh restores power to 29 lakh cyclone-hit consumers
Utility teams continue repairing transmission and distribution infrastructure damaged by heavy rain, floods and strong winds across several districts.
Electricity supply has been restored to nearly 29 lakh consumers in cyclone-hit districts of Andhra Pradesh, according to reports by Urban Acres and Deccan Chronicle. The cyclone made landfall near Kothapatnam on November 3, causing damage to homes, farms and businesses in Bapatla, Prakasam, Palnadu, Guntur, NTR and Krishna districts.
Special Chief Secretary (Energy) K. Vijayanand reviewed the restoration efforts at the State Load Dispatch Centre at Vidyut Soudha. He stated that the safety of the public is the main priority while staff work in dangerous environments to fix the network.
The extra-high-tension transmission network faced significant damage, including the collapse of a 220-kV terminal tower in Bapatla. At the 400/220/132-kV Guddigudem substation, engineers used heavy motor pumps to drain floodwater that had breached the compound wall to restore 400-kV lines and transformers.
In the APEPDCL zone, 1,001 teams consisting of 11,537 personnel restored power to 552 substations and 5,753 villages. While much of the supply is back, repairs are still pending in areas where waterlogging or poles fallen into ponds have prevented immediate work.
Vijayanand expressed confidence that uninterrupted supply will be provided across the state soon. Officials are making temporary arrangements for power in certain areas until permanent repairs are finished.
The Energy department has advised residents to avoid fallen poles, snapped wires or submerged electrical equipment. Consumers can report damaged transformers or disruptions via the electricity department’s toll-free helplines.